Canonisation Ceremony

Canonisation of Blessed Mary MacKillop

  • Date: October 17, 2010
  • Place: St. Peter's Basilica, Rome

09.30am

  • The reading of a brief biography of each Blessed being canonised was read
  • The preparation for the ceremony featured short readings or prayers written by the Blessed. These were read by Sisters Judith Sippel and Katrina Brill
    At this point there will be a prayer or hymn (chosen to fit the biography which has been submitted by each Postulator).

10.00am

The Rite of Canonisation – the Mass celebrated by the Holy Father

  • The pope begins with a greeting.
  • The Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints accompanies the Postulators to the Holy Father and requests the Holy Father to proceed with the Canonisation of the Blesseds using the formula: Most blessed Father, The holy Mother Church, asks your Holiness that these blessed ones be written in Book of Saints and thus be invoked as such by all Christians.
  • The Prefect then presents a brief biography of those to be canonised.
  • Prayer and Litany of the Saints follows with the concluding prayer to the Litany
  • THE HOLY FATHER SOLEMNLY PRONOUNCES THE OFFICIAL FORMULA OF CANONISATION.
  • ALL RESPOND with the sung AMEN
  • The relics of the Saints are placed near the altar
  • The choir /cantor sings alleluiax3
  • The assembly repeats the above alleluia x3
  • The choir/cantor sings a brief acclamation.
  • The Prefect thanks the Holy Father and asks that arrangements be made that the Apostolic letter be written regarding the Canonisation
  • Holy Father responds – may this be so!
  • The Prefect and the Postulators exchange a sign of peace with Holy Father
  • THE EUCHARIST FOLLOWS AS NORMAL – the Gloria, the opening Prayer, the Readings etc.

NOTE: The formal aspects of the canonisation ceremony happen prior to the Gloria.